Collision
by Sempre
Summary: When an accident takes away the one she loves, Rahne life comes tumbling down. Perhaps a ghost from her past is just what she needs to find the meaning of moving on. Rated for language and mentions of lemons. Sunspot/Wolfsbane/Nightcrawler.
1. One Day

**Collision  
><strong>Chapter 1: One Day

The morning came all too soon for Rahne Sinclair. After a night spent keeping the new recruits at the Institute out of order, she finally managed to go to bed around two in the morning. As the alarm went off at seven, she let out a loud moan into her pillow.

This was the typical day for Rahne, she came to find out quickly after she became an instructor at the Institute. Once she had turned eighteen, she found her way back from Scotland to finish up high school at Bayville High and soon was recruited to become an instructor alongside a few of her other team mates. The day consisted of waking up much too early for her liking, making sure the young recruits didn't kill themselves or anyone else and running drills and exercises outside or in the Danger Room. It was the best job that she could have ever imagined.

"Good morning to you, too?" A male voice came from next to her and a moment later, the alarm stopped. Rahne didn't even move her head as she said (while still crushing her face against the pillow), "Don't joke around with me, Rob. I'm so tired."

Rolling onto her back, Rahne scooted closer to the man in bed beside her, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. "Doesn't this remind you of the morning after we got married?" Roberto asked with a laugh and Rahne shrugged her shoulders, glancing down to look at the two rings on her left ring finger. "How so?"

"The fact that we had to get up and teach a training session the morning after we got married," The Brazilian teased. Rahne took a deep breath and let a smile cross her face. That night was something that meant the entire world to her; what started as a date that night to get dinner and Roberto proposing, they decided to get married that night… which resulted in a night full of laughs trying to pick out wedding bands and finding a judge who would agree to marry them at the last minute. Thankfully, her husband had connections beyond her wildest dreams and before she knew it, she was Rahne Sinclair-da Costa.

They left the Institute that night as a couple of four months and came back several hours later as husband and wife. Everyone had been so surprised by the suddenness of the marriage, but they all accepted it and congratulated the couple. Some took it better than others, but everyone came to accept it after a few days. They were family, after all.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Rahne suddenly asked. Roberto sat up in their bed, leaning against the back of it as he looked down at his wife. "What do you mean?"

"Moving away from here," She replied. "This has been our home since we were teenagers. Doesn't it just feel… I don't know, strange?"

Rahne's head turned to look over at the multiple boxes lined against their wall that they had started packing their belongings in. The move from Scotland to the United States had been hard enough on her as a teenager, and she found that her nerves moving from the United States to an entirely new place was just as frightening. Roberto leaned down and pressed his lips gently against hers. "You are going to love Brazil. I have no doubt in my mind. Besides, getting away from here is exactly what we need. Like you said, we've been here since we were teenagers… isn't it time to leave and explore the world and see what it has in store for us outside of Bayville?"

Rahne mumbled quietly as he climbed out of bed, rolling in the sheets until she was in the middle of the bed, watching him as he slipped an undershirt over his bare chest. "Can't you just stay in bed with me?" She asked quietly.

Roberto gave a laugh. "Now, that would be Heaven, my love," He replied, leaning down to give her a peck on the forehead. "But we both have things to do today… you have a training session with the new recruits in a few hours and I have to be on my way to the airport."

"The airport?" Rahne questioned.

"Sam's coming into town, remember?" Roberto responded, glancing over his shoulder at her while attempting to rummage through the drawer in front of him to find a pair of socks. "I told you last night that his sister couldn't pick him up anymore so I offered. Besides, he _is_ our best friend… I'm not going to leave him stranded or make him take a taxi. Besides, it's just a short drive from here. I'll be back before you know it."

"What time is his flight? I'll come with you," Rahne said, rolling onto her back.

"He lands right as your training session starts… but we'll have plenty of time to all hang out tonight at dinner," Roberto flashed Rahne a smile. "What time do you have to get out of here?" The redhead asked, undoing the covers from around her body and throwing her legs over the side of the bed.

"I don't have to be out of here for another hour or so… I have to run some errands before I pick Sam up, and then I have to stop at the lawyer's office to sign some papers for our new house. But that won't take long." Roberto turned around to face his wife and stopped moving, his eyes never leaving her.

It took her a moment to realize why he wouldn't look away from her and she gave a soft laugh. Her usual outfit for the night was an oversized shirt and a pair of sweatpants, but she had went to bed late the night before and had simply slipped out of her clothes and hopped into bed… leaving the Scot with simply a pair of underwear and a lacy bra.

Rahne gave a sly smile as she lifted her hand, using her pointer finger to curl towards her in a way to tell him to come closer. He did as he was told, his own smirk going across his face. "That gives us just enough time to have some time to ourselves," Rahne whispered, pulling down on his shirt forcefully and capturing his lips in a fiery kiss.

* * *

><p>Rahne stood in the front window pane, watching with a smile as Roberto pulled out of the garage in his brand new car ("Why do you need a new car when we are moving in three weeks that you can't even bring with?" Rahne had shouted at him in disbelief. "Because I wanted a convertible?" Roberto's reply had been as he laughed at her anger) and drive through the gates of the Institute.<p>

Rahne pressed her hand gently against the window as she lost sight of the bright red car, taking a deep breath as it disappeared from her sight. She still felt like they were newlyweds and couldn't get enough of each other. She knew that this was what she was meant to do; Roberto was meant to be her husband and she was meant to be exactly where she was… her life was exactly what she had pictured as a little girl.

"_Ce que vous pensez_?" Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind her. Rahne gave a smile as Remy LeBeau made his way next to her, his arms crossed over his stomach and his eyes also locked on the view through the window.

"You know I don't speak French," Rahne replied quietly, glancing up to look at her fellow coworker. "English, please"

"Deso—oh, sorry," He spoke with a laugh. "Sometimes I forget that no one else speaks French. I miss having someone else whose native language isn't _Anglais_."

Rahne didn't respond to his last comment. She felt that it wasn't in her place… Kurt had left the Institute a little over two years before and the two hadn't talked or seen each other since then. Given their history, it was probably for the best.

Even though she hadn't spoke to Kurt in years, she still found herself growing more fond of Rogue as time passed. While many of her partners had gone on to live their own lives away from the Institute, Rogue and Kitty had both stayed to become instructors… and sometimes, Kitty was just too peppy for Rahne's liking. Rogue had so much more in common than the Scottish native had with Illinois-born Kitty… their personalities seemed to clash too much otherwise.

"Where is yo' man headed?" Remy asked.

"He had to go out and get some more boxes to pack up the bedroom… we're going to ship stuff to the house next week," Rahne spoke, a smile going wide across her face. "He's picking up Cannonball afterwards."

"I don't see you in Brazil," Remy murmured. Rahne raised an eyebrow and he glanced down, continuing what he was thinking. "You just don't seem the type o' woman that would enjoy it."

"I'll enjoy wherever I am with Rob," Rahne replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Remy gave a soft sigh, turning his head to look back out the window.

"It was really brave of you to leave Magneto to come here and be with Rogue," Rahne said suddenly, still looking out of the window.

"_Cherie, _it's the things you do for love," Remy replied, throwing his arm loosely around her shoulders. "Besides, it's not like he could do much about it. He was never there… it was just Remy and John, who enjoyed lighting things on fire way too much for Remy's liking."

"You make it sound like you just wanted to get away from them," Rahne murmured, leaning into his arm as he gave a laugh. "I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my days with Rogue. I figured I might as well start somewhere."

"Do you ever regret it?" Rahne whispered.

"Best choice of my life, _mon amie_," Remy responded instantly, a smile going wide across his face.

"Then you have no need worrying about me, my friend," Rahne replied, giving him a pat on the back. "You said it yourself… it's the things you do for love."

"Yeah, yeah… Remy got your point," He responded with a laugh. After a moment of silence he said, "C'mon, our duties don't start for another hour an' a half. Let's grab some café an' you can show Remy pictures of this mansion your husband speaks about so often in Rio."

"With pleasure," Rahne replied with a laugh, linking her arm through his as the two made their way towards the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Training sessions usually didn't take as long as this one did, but Rahne found that today's session should simply be the recruits having fun and learning fun uses with their powers… so she constructed a friendly game of dodgeball in the quad in front of the mansion. Rahne stood to the side with a whistle in her hand, watching the children as they laughed and tried desperately to make their team win the game.<p>

_Rahne,_ the familiar telepathic voice of Charles Xavier flooded her mind and Rahne jumped in surprise at the suddenness of his words. _I would like you to please come to my office._

_Can it wait? I'm in the middle of making sure the new recruits don't kill themselves._ Rahne responded, watching carefully as one of the new recruits jumped high into the air to miss the ball thrown his way, stomping back down onto the ground and leaving a giant hole in his wake. Rahne sighed to herself and yelled, "You have detention tonight for that, Lucas! I told you last time that you couldn't put any more holes in the ground."

"Sorry, Mrs. Da Costa!" Lucas responded with a laugh.

_I'm sorry, but this can't wait,_ Xavier replied. Rahne sighed to herself and grabbed the whistle that hung around her neck. "Kitty, you're in charge for a bit. Charles wants to see me," The redhead said. Kitty nodded her head, phasing through a dodge ball that was 'accidently' tossed her way.

Rahne jogged back to the mansion, making sure to stop in front of one of the many mirrors to fix her hair. Thanks to a recruit whose ability was controlling the wind, it looked terrible and Rahne very much disapproved. After taking a moment to primp herself, she walked up the stairs and turned the corner to his office.

Standing outside the office was Remy, leaning against the wall with his head down and his hair covering his face. "Remy," Rahne called, jogging the rest of the way to him. "Did the Professor want to see you, too?"

Remy lifted his head to look at her and without a word, jumped from his spot against the wall so he was right next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling the Scottish girl close to his body.

"_Aucun mot ne peut exprimer comment je regrette pour votre perte_," Remy murmured into her hair, his arms wrapped tight around her small frame. "_Vous pouvez toujours venir à moi et __je serai ici pour vous n'importe quoi_-"

"Calm down, Frenchie; I don't speak Cajun," Rahne said with a giggle as she pulled out of his arms. "What're you going on about?" Remy's look took her by surprise as he simply stared at her, looking completely bewildered. "_Mon dieu_," He said quietly, biting down on his lip. "Remy shouldn't have said anything…"

"What shouldn't you have told me?" Rahne asked, feeling goosebumps running up her arms. Remy opened his mouth to speak once more, but the door to Xavier's study opened and there stood Rogue. Rahne could instantly tell something had happened that she clearly didn't know about after seeing the tears prominently located in her friend's eyes.

"Rahne?" The red head made her way into the office as she heard Xavier calling her name. The door closed behind her and Rahne took a moment to gather her surroundings. Charles was sitting at his desk with Ororo on one side sitting on the edge of the desk and Logan on the other side, leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest. Looking over her shoulder, she locked eyes with Rogue, who had tears in her eyes and seemed to be fighting them from falling.

"Please, sit down," Xavier told her quietly and Rahne obliged, sitting down on the chair directly in front of his desk. "Sir, did… did I do something?" Rahne asked quietly.

"No… no, Rahne, you did absolutely nothing wrong," Xavier replied, almost too quickly for her liking. "Then what's going on?" She asked.

It took him a moment to respond, but after taking a deep breath, he seemed to gather the courage to speak. "Rahne, there's been an accident."


	2. Aftermath

**Collison**  
>Chapter 2: Aftermath<p>

_Previously…_

"_Please, sit down," Xavier told her quietly and Rahne obliged, sitting down on the chair directly in front of his desk. "Sir, did… did I do something?" Rahne asked quietly._

"_No… no, Rahne, you did absolutely nothing wrong," Xavier replied, almost too quickly for her liking. "Then what's going on?" She asked._

_It took him a moment to respond, but after taking a deep breath, he seemed to gather the courage to speak. "Rahne, there's been an accident."_

* * *

><p>"Your husband and Sam were involved in a car accident on their way back to the Institute. We just received the call from the hospital alerting us to the situation," Xavier said softly, his eyes never leading the redhead who sat in front of his desk.<p>

Rahne was silent for a few moments, staring at Charles as if he was crazy. What he was saying was impossible... Roberto was such a careful driver; there was no possible way that he could be involved in an accident. As silly as he was, he was one of the most serious drivers she had ever encountered. The thought of him being in an accident seemed incredulous.

"Rahne?" The Professor asked as he blinked, watching his former pupil.

After a moment to overcome the onset of the slight shock that was running through her veins, she took a breath.

"What happened? Are they okay?" Rahne asked, leaning forward in her seat. No one spoke and it caused goose bumps to appear all along her body. "Charles, please say something," She whispered.

"I was able to connect to Samuel via telepathic communication. All he was able to tell me was that while on the way home from the airport, they were hit on the driver's side of the car and the car had flipped multiple times."

"What about 'Berto? How is he?" Rahne asked breathlessly, her hands clinging to the sides of the seat.

The room was silent for a few moments before Rahne spoke again, much louder than before, "Charles, what happened to my husband?"

"I was unable to connect to Roberto, Rahne," He told her quietly, his eyes looking sad and sunken as he watched from behind his desk. Rahne looked dumbfounded and stared at Charles while a few seconds passed before she spoke.

"That just means that he is unconscious, right?" She looked around the room and glanced around the room, watching each person. Charles watched her but didn't speak, Logan had his head down and wasn't looking at her, Ororo's mouth was open like she was ready to speak yet no words were coming out, and Rogue stayed silent in the back of the room, glancing towards the side so she wouldn't have to watch Rahne's presumed meltdown.

"We need to—I, I need to get to the hospital and be with him," Rahne said, quickly rising from her seat to make her way towards the door.

"Rahne…" Ororo said softly, swiftly making her way next to the youngster and holding onto her arm to keep her in place.

"Storm, let go of me," Rahne pleaded, pulling her arm to try and get out of her old teacher's grip.

"Roberto wasn't wearing his seat belt, Rahne," Charles said lightly. "He was ejected from the car when they were hit. The paramedics declared him DOA."

"My husband is hurt; I need to get to the hospital," Rahne whispered, still trying to pull out of Storm's grip.

"Rahne, I'm so sorry," Xavier said quietly as he wheeled around from behind the desk but stopped as he watched her slump against Storm, a sob escaping from her throat.

Storm lowered herself and Rahne onto the ground, holding tight onto her former student as Rahne half heartedly attempted to escape her arms, only to be pulled in tighter. "Stop lying to me," She sobbed. "He's not gone. He's waiting for me at the hospital… I need to get to the hospital…"

No one said a word and the only noise within the room was Rahne's sobbing growing louder and louder. After a minute of this, there was a knock at the door. When no one answered, a head phased through the door and announced, "Professor, there are, like, three officers down in the main entry way asking for Rah-" She went quiet as she saw her coworker on the ground wrapped in Storm's arms.

"Rahne?" She asked, her voice alarmed as she made her way into the room, only for Rogue to throw out an arm and stop her from getting any closer. Confused, Kitty glanced to the side at her former roommate, who only shook her head and motioned for the door. The two phased out together and Logan followed suit, leaving only Charles and Ororo, who held tight onto Rahne as her sobs soon turned into screams.

* * *

><p>When she reached the fifth floor, Rahne almost didn't get out of the elevator. She was perfectly content going back for the first floor, getting in the car where Ororo and Logan were waiting for her, and go back to the Institute in an attempt to figure out what she was going to do now.<p>

But this was something she needed to do. He was one of her best friends, after all… but he was Roberto's best friend, too. What was she supposed to say to him?

Finally gaining the courage, she made her way out of the elevator and stood there, dumbfounded. Nurses casually made their way past her, giggling and talking about their days while doctors stood behind a desk looking over x-rays that had just been returned to them. Rahne felt out completely out of place and every ounce of her being wanted her to turn around and leave. Her body was numb and terrified from the last hour and a half she had spent with the realization that she was now a widow, and maybe it was the numbness that caused her to move her feel and make her way up to the reception desk.

"I'm looking for Samuel Guthrie," The red head murmured to the nurse, who glanced down at her chart and sent her down the hallway. She felt as if time were moving so slowly and that everyone was racing past her at the speed of light when she was actually walking her normal pace down the hallway.

Is this what the beginning of dying of a broken heart felt like? Rahne was so sure this was the exact feeling. The love of her life – her _husband_ – was gone and he was never coming back. She felt like her body was slowly and painfully shutting down on her as she made her way down the hall, passing the rooms of others who had their loved ones around them. Roberto didn't get the chance to do that. He didn't get a chance to say goodbye to anyone.

Upon reaching her destination, she paused outside the doorway and rested her head against the wall. What was she doing? She was just trying to hurt herself, she was sure. Sam wouldn't want to see her like this… Hell, he probably would be feeling just about the same as she was.

She was about to leave when the door opened and a nurse, carrying some gauze and tape, made her way outside. Rahne took a deep breath; it was now or never. She slipped her way into the room, eyes down on the ground for a moment before she had the nerve to look at the one bed inside of the room. There laid Sam, a bandage wrapped around his head and his arm in a cast on top of the covers. His eyes were closed and for a moment, Rahne held her breath. It was only when she saw his chest moving up and down that she was able to take another breath.

Instead of making her way over to him and potentially disturbing his rest, Rahne slowly made her way over to a small couch in the corner of the room that looked like it was made of cracked polyester. It was only when she got closer and her nose caught a better scent that she happened to realize it was simply just old leather and she sighed. Taking a seat on the couch, she found an interesting spot on the wall, her eyes never leaving that location.

Sam's eyes fluttered open no less than five minutes later, perhaps sensing that he wasn't alone in his room. He blinked his eyes, his face scrunching slightly before he turned his head to the side to look out the window of his room. The Southern boy then took a moment to glance to the other side and spotted Rahne sitting on the leather loveseat, her legs pulled up to her chest and her chin resting on top of her knees.

"Rahne," He whispered, causing the redhead to raise her head and glance at him. Her eyes once more welled up with tears as she stayed put, not sure whether to stay where she was or to go over to her friend in an attempt to comfort him.

"Rahne…" He whispered again, his eyes pleading. Rahne knew exactly what he was trying to say, or rather, ask… he wanted to know about Roberto. Her mouth opened but no words were able to form. She choked for a moment, watching him with her tear-filled eyes, before it slowly closed and all she could do was shake her head. With that one action, her own face scrunched up and she felt another wave of sobs hit her.

"No," She managed to say in between sobs, her head buried into her hands. Her chest was tight and she was sure she was about to hyperventilate, but instead lowered her hands in an attempt to gain control of her breathing and slowly glanced at Sam. He was still laying back in his bed, a look mixed of shock and confusion across his face. He barely moved an inch as Rahne sat there, crying loud enough for the both of them.

"Come here," Sam whispered. Rahne didn't seem to hear him as she tried to catch her breath, which only created more tears. "Babe, come here," He insisted a little bit louder to make sure that his best friend could hear him. Rahne didn't fight his words as she managed to get to her feet and slink her way over towards the bed. He scooted to the side as she collapsed onto the side of his bed, her arms wrapped tight around his frame and her face buried into the crook of his neck.

"It's going to be okay," He whispered, feeling his own voice choking with held back tears. One of his hands (the thankfully unbroken one) rested on her neck, pulling her head closer towards his body. The other arm draped around her waist in a slight effort to give her an ounce of support, both physically and mentally. "I'm here for you, Rahne. Everyone is here for you."

"He's not here," She sobbed. "I just want my husband. That's all I've ever wanted. I just want my husband."

Sam didn't speak. Instead, he held his best friend in his arms as they cried together for the loss of one of their own.

* * *

><p>Short chapter, but I feel like it got the point across.<p>

I really want to know how everyone is feeling about this story! Please post comments and let me know what y'all are thinking! Also, I totally approve of constructive criticism so if you think something may be better, just let me know!


	3. Breakeven

Collision  
>Chapter 3: Breakeven<p>

* * *

><p>As Kitty entered the kitchen at six in the morning, she last person she expected to see sitting at the table was Sam Guthrie.<p>

With groggy eyes and her pajamas still on, Kitty slowly crept her way into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Sam,"

"Morning," He murmured in reply, his eyes never leaving the table. Kitty watched him as she set the coffee pot down, taking in his appearance. He was still cut up and bruised with a black eye shining in the dim light of the kitchen. He didn't seem to notice her watching while he asked, "What are you doing up this early?"

"I couldn't sleep," She replied. "What're you doing up?"

"I couldn't, either. I haven't been able to sleep much since… y'know," Sam didn't finish the sentence and Kitty understood. It wasn't easy talking about losing someone in such a way, or losing anyone in general… and she wasn't going to make him talk about it. She moved over to the table, sitting across from Sam and took a long sip of her coffee.

"It's so strange," Sam murmured. Kitty glanced up from her drink to watch the sandy-haired male, who had his head low and his hair covering his eyes. Kitty could tell that he was trying to hide the fact that tears had sprouted in his eyes when he spoke in a choked voice, "Roberto was my best friend from the first time we met. When I moved to Chicago, we still kept in touch everyday… It's crazy how friendships work like that, right?" He fell silent and let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Even though I know he's gone, I was so upset when I woke up and didn't have a text from him… it was like I almost forgot, just for a second, that he wasn't here anymore and that I'll never get that text message."

Kitty was silent, biting down on her lower lip as she heard everything that Sam had to say.

"Can I tell you something?" Kitty asked. Sam glanced up at her, his eyes shiny with tears and his face red. Kitty could tell from then that he probably had been up crying hours before she arrived in the kitchen. She felt her heart tighten at the sight, but she spoke again. "I want to tell you a story. It's a story I haven't told a lot of people… but I feel like it's something you might want to hear." Sam didn't speak, but nodded his head. Kitty took that as a sign to go ahead, and she started to tell him her story.

"I grew up in Chicago before I moved to the Institute," She started, leaning back in her chair while she stared down at her cup of coffee. "Growing up, I was really close to my next door neighbor, Mallory. She was to me what Roberto is to you… we were inseparable. Even when I moved here to Bayville, we talked everyday and I would fly home once a month to see my family and spend the entire time with her. She was two years older than me, so she was, like… an older sister figure in my life… I told her everything, and she told me everything… I imagined my entire life with her at my side. I thought we would be together forever." She glanced up to look at Sam, who was watching her intently.

"One night she went to a party with her boyfriend… it was on the opposite side of the city, which isn't particularly the nicest place in the area. It was a small party; maybe a total of twenty five people," She paused and took a breath. "A few of the people at the party belonged to a gang that was rivals with the one that claimed turf where the party was. A few of those members came and a fight started… and then someone pulled out a gun. There was a total of six shots fired which injured three and killed one. By the time they managed to get Mallory to the hospital, she had passed away." She glanced back down at her coffee just in time to not see Sam inhale sharply at her words.

"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Kitty whispered. "It wasn't her fault that she died, and I found myself so angry with her that she couldn't have helped it. Mal died six years ago and there is not a day that goes by where I don't think about her or miss her. I will never stop missing her," Kitty said, feeling her throat tightening as she remembered that day. "But just because she isn't here doesn't mean I don't love her anymore. I always will until the day that I die."

"Believe me when I tell you this, Sam; you will never get over losing Roberto," She told him, doing her best to not sound choked up or emotional. "Your heart will always carry around that pain and the sadness of knowing that they won't be there anymore… and as horrible as it is, it tends to get easier in due time." She glanced up to lock eyes with him. "When Mallory passed away, I thought it was the end of the world. I didn't eat or sleep for days. I started losing my sense of reality and all I wanted was to see her one last time and tell her everything that I wish I could have told her." By the time she finished speaking, tears were running down her pale cheeks and she noticed that Sam had finally stopped looking at herm his head turned away and his eyes closed.

"I miss him, Kit," Sam whispered, his head bowed once more.

With tears still running down her cheeks, Kitty got up from her seat and made her way over to Sam, wrapping her arms around him. "You're always going to miss him. It's a part of life," She whispered. "I miss him, too." She held Sam in her arms, rocking back forth and gently as she felt his back shake and tears hitting her shoulder.

"We'll be okay," She whispered, giving him a soft kiss on his temple. "Everything will be okay. We are going to get through this together." Neither of them spoke, and the only sound in the kitchen besides the birds chirping outside the window was their quiet cries.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Remy got something to share with you," He said with a sly grin crossing his face as he clasped hands with Rogue, pulling her in his direction. Walking outside the front doors of the Institute, he led her down a sidewalk and sat down on a nearby bench, patting the spot next to him for her to follow suit. When she did, he wrapped an arm over her shoulders and tilted his head.<p>

"Y'see over there?" He pointed to the quad of grass in front of them, where some of the new recruits were trudging along during Logan's training session. "Yeah, I see it…" Rogue said quietly. "What about it?"

Remy smiled. "That was where I took you for our first date," He said proudly. "You said you wanted dinner and a movie and to be home by midnight." Rogue chuckled at the memory. "And we never left home," She finished his story for him. "You packed a picnic and we watched The Wizard of Oz on your computer."

"_Corriger_," He nodded his head. "And what about over there?" He pointed to a window on the second floor of the Institute, and when Rogue didn't respond, he did for her. "That's the window to your room, where-"

"-where you spied on me all the times that I told y'to leave me alone?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She watched a blush rise to his cheeks as he fumbled to come up with something to say.

"Peut-être… but that's not the point," He stumbled with his words. "It was in that very room where you told me that you loved me for the first time." The two fell silent for a few moments, Rogue in confusion and Remy is nerves.

"What's all of this about?" Rogue asked quietly, tilting her head as she watched Remy smile and lean in close, his lips barely brushing her ear.

"Marry me," He whispered.

What Remy had expected at that moment was for a rainbow to magically appear, for doves to fly overhead and have Rogue fly into his arms in delight, screaming yes at the top of her lungs while he basked in happiness… it wasn't what he got. Instead of seeing delight on her face as he pulled back, he was surprised to see an even more shocking look… the look of disgust.

"Y_'have_ to be kidding me," Rogue hissed, pushing Remy away from her as she stood up from the bench and started to storm away.

"Rogue!" Remy yelled, chasing after her. Once he was close enough, he reached out to grab her wrist and turn her around to face him.

"Our friend is _dead_, Remy. Roberto is _dead_ and we have a grieving widow, who _happens_ to be one of our closest friends here, who needs help and needs support… and _all_ y'can think about is marrying _me?_" Rogue was out of breath from hissing under her breath at her boyfriend, leaving him standing there with a dumbfounded face.

"That's the thing, Rogue," He said quietly. "It's after seeing Rahne losing her _mari_, I knew I didn't want to live without you by my side-"

"I _am_ by your side," Rogue yelled.

"- as my wife."

The two stayed silent. It was almost a minute into them standing there in silence that Remy realized that he had forgotten to the pull the ring out of his pocket. He physically flinched at the thought and dug into his pocket to retrieve it, only to have Rogue's gloved hand stop him.

"Rem…" She murmured softly. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Remy should have figured you would say no. After all, y'always said that marriage-"

"-wasn't for me," Rogue finished with a whisper. She sighed and continued, "It's not for me… not right now. I need to be there for Rahne right now and so do you. When all of this is over…" She fell silent, not sure of what to say. Looking at Remy made her have to really think; yes, she loved him… but was this man the one she wanted to stay with forever?

"Don't leave Remy hangin' now, _cherie_," Remy whispered back to her.

"I'll come to you when I'm ready," Rogue responded adamantly. She could feel her throat begin to swell with emotion and fluid hit the back of her eyes and with those feelings, she let go of Remy and started back towards the Institute. Why was she having this flood of emotion? Rogue choked back a soft cry, ducking her head as her walk soon became a jog back to her home.

Watching her go, Remy stood there, his mouth slightly agape. That wasn't what he had planned on happening… He had hoped she would squeal with delight at the thought of marrying him and the two would be bursting with happiness by the time they walked back into the Institute, sharing the wonderful news with everyone… With a sigh, he pulled the ring from his pocket and stared down at the sparkling jewelry. "_Je vais attendre pour vous,_" He whispered to no one in particular, closing his fist around the ring and lowering his head.

* * *

><p>Three days. It had been three days, two hours and thirteen minutes since she had lost her husband.<p>

Rahne stood on a cliff that seemed all too familiar. A gazebo had once stood there, but it had been torn down years before. She had heard of it when Amara had phoned her, telling her that Rogue and her brother had a scuffle that ended in Mystique's rock body being smashed into pieces… and she remembered the first time she came there, she had been with _him_… they looked over the cliff together from inside the gazebo, giggling and sharing simple kisses. She had even brought Roberto here a few times, but the gazebo was long gone by then. Grass had grown over the dirt where the building had once stood, so if you hadn't been there to see it, then you probably would have never known that it was here.

The tide was high and Rahne didn't care to notice. The redhead simply stood there, staring over the edge of the cliff at the waves lapping against the land. The wind was strong, making her shiver and attempt to pull her sweatshirt closer to her.

How in the world was she going to be able to get through tomorrow? She had imagined growing old with Roberto; she imagined being that couple people cooed over as they walked through their nursing home, holding hands and whispering their love to each other. She imagined falling asleep forever in his arms.

But now that those dreams were over, how in the world was she supposed to say goodbye to her husband?

_You already have_, she remembered. _You told him goodbye two hours before he left to pick up Sam from the airport. Before they got in that accident. Before he was ejected from the car. _

Rahne closed her eyes, feelings tears spurting. She knew she was a good five minute walk from the Institute and that no one had followed her, but she still didn't want to cry. She had cried so much for the last few days that she felt particularly numb to the feeling.

"I wish I could tell you so many things, 'Berto," Rahne said aloud, knowing that no one could hear her. As much as she wished that Roberto could hear everything she was saying, she knew it wasn't true. She just didn't want to have to believe it.

_It would be so easy,_ She thought to herself as she glanced down over the edge of the cliff. _All I would have to do is jump. There is no way anyone could survive a fall that far down._ Another gust of wind blew and she tugged at her sweater once more.

She closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting for her body to agree with her and take that one step. That one step was all she needed to be back with her husband and she wanted to be back in his arms more than anything in the world. All she wanted was to be wrapped in his arms and to smell that musty scent of cologne that he loved to wear… to feel his breath and his lips against her neck and to hear him whispering her name ever so softly.

But her body failed her and after a few seconds, she opened her eyes and stared back out at the water. She knew deep down that she would never try to kill herself, no matter how much she missed her husband. When it was time for her to go, then she would accept it with open arms.

The redhead sighed and turned around to head back to the Institute when she felt something crumble under her back foot. As she twisted around to figure out what had happened, she was falling down towards the water along with the dirt that had given out beneath her.

A raspy scream filled the air as her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't morph now because there would be no difference; she would be injured to the point of death. So as her screams still filled the air, her body and heart slowly accepted her fate; this was her time. This was the time she was going to meet the Man upstairs and see the love of her life.

Maybe once she hit the water, she wouldn't feel any pain. Maybe it would be one of those incidents where the person died instantly and never realized how painful death could actually be… for her to slip on accident and find herself in this position, she was almost willing to throw out her arms and tell the Man upstairs that she was ready to join her husband. She could see Roberto just on the other side of that water, waiting for her…

The smell of sulfur flooded her nostrils as Rahne felt her body hit something – hard. At first she simply laid there, her eyes closed and her breathing hard and painful. It was only after a few moments of not choking on sea water that she realized she wasn't in the ocean, or on the sandbar next to it. She shifted slightly on the ground and let out a moan at the pain that shot through her back but managed to catch the smell of grass while she did so. Grass? There was no grass down there. Why did she smell grass?

"What were you thinking?" Some angrily and breathlessly whispered into her ear.

Rahne's eyes opened after hearing that very familiar voice, turning her head to the side to catch a look at the person who had just saved her life. Her head was light and fuzzy and at first she wasn't sure what she was seeing. The setting sun was shining bright in her eyes, making her only able to squint her eyes in an attempt to gather her surroundings. The shadow of a man was pushing himself off of the ground and she could hear heavy breathing under his breath. As he moved, he blocked the sun and Rahne gave a sigh of relief.

Opening her eyes wider to look at the man standing over her, her body went from being relieved to almost wishing that he had just let her fall. Her heart tightened at the sight of him and her mouth was agape for a few moments before she finally managed to say his name.

"Kurt?"


	4. Lullabies

**Collision**  
>Chapter 4: Lullabies<p>

_Previously…_

_"What were you thinking?" Some angrily and breathlessly whispered into her ear._

_Rahne's eyes opened after hearing that very familiar voice, turning her head to the side to catch a look at the person who had just saved her life. Her head was light and fuzzy and at first she wasn't sure what she was seeing. The setting sun was shining bright in her eyes, making her only able to squint her eyes in an attempt to gather her surroundings. The shadow of a man was pushing himself off of the ground and she could hear heavy breathing under his breath. As he moved, he blocked the sun and Rahne gave a sigh of relief._

_Opening her eyes wider to look at the man standing over her, her body went from being relieved to almost wishing that he had just let her fall. Her heart tightened at the sight of him and her mouth was agape for a few moments before she finally managed to say his name._

_"Kurt?"_

* * *

><p>"Kurt?" Rahne asked quietly, blinking a few times just in case she was imagining the sight of him after nearly dying only moments before.<p>

After each blink of her eyes, he was still there.

"What were you thinking, Rahne?" Kurt asked again, quickly kneeling down on the ground next to her. He reached out to take a hold of her as she sat up. "Are you hurt?"

As soon as his hand touched her arm, her mind seemed to explode with the repressed memories that she had tried to desperately to forget. It brought on a flood of emotions and although her eyes started to tear up at the sight of him, another emotion was let loose.

"Don't touch me," She snarled, pulling her arm out of his grip. She quickly rolled away from him until they were at least four feet apart before she sat up again and glared at him.

Kurt hadn't moved from his spot kneeling in the dirt, his eyes sullen as he watched her. He probably should have expected her to have this sort of reaction, but there was that part of him that had hoped that maybe – given her circumstances – she would be open to seeing him and not want to rip his head to shreds. With her mutation, she easily had the ability to do that. "It's nice to see you too, schöne," He murmured.

"Don't you dare start that crap with me," Rahne howled in response. "Why are you here?"

"It's not like you own the place, Rahne," Kurt replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I lived here, too."

"Until you walked out," The redhead growled at him as she pushed herself onto her feet. She had almost forgotten the fact she had smacked her head on the ground when Kurt had teleported them, so the dizziness was instantaneous. She gave a soft moan and lost her footing, but found her balance before she could fall over.

"Rahne?" Kurt asked, quickly striding towards her.

"_Don't_," She snapped, holding her hand out to stop him.

Kurt stopped and the two stared at the other. For the first time since she realized he was there, Rahne got to take a good look at him. He had definitely aged, she realized… his eyes were sullen and didn't have that sparkle she remembered from years before. His hair was the same length as usual, but he dressed it up with his dark wash jeans and a white button-down which was now covered in dirt from their fall out of the sky.

"I'm not here to fight with you," Kurt breathed out, running his hands through his hair. "I came back because I wanted to help you."

"I don't need your help, Kurt," Rahne responded with a roll of her eyes. "I've done fine without you the last two and a half years, so why do you think I'd need your help now?"

"Because Roberto is gone," He replied bluntly, and instantly regretted it when he saw the change on Rahne's face go from angry to an almost lost look. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I know how it is to lose someone that you love," He murmured. Could he even say that he loved Mystique? He wasn't sure, but watching Rogue push her stone body over the same cliff that he and Rahne were standing on made him queasy to think about, even to this day. Nevermind the fact that she had been brought back to life… he wasn't going to bring that up, especially when he was trying to make a point. "I know how much it hurts and how easy it is to push everyone who cares about you away… I'm here because I want to be there for you."

"Oh, _now_ you want to help me?" Rahne let out a laugh. "The one time I needed help, you bailed on me. In case you forgot: _you _left _me,_ remember?" She asked, her eyes glaring and her hands finding their place on her hips.

"That was different," Kurt replied and Rahne let out a quiet sob and shook her head.

"It's not different, Kurt! I needed you and you left me. So if you really want to help me, then get away from me. Get out of the Institute because the last thing I want to see when I come home tomorrow after telling my husband goodbye is your face standing in the doorway."

Kurt was about to say something when a yell from the forest made them both jump. He glanced to the side and watched as a figure slid out of the trees and ran towards them, claws out and a snarl wide across his face. He slid to a stop next to Rahne, an arm protectively around her.

"I heard your scream," Logan breathed out, claws retracting as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling the frail redhead close to his body. He turned his head and glanced at Kurt, and neither of them said anything for a few moments before Logan smirked and held his other arm out and shook Kurt's hand.

"It's nice to see you, Elf. How long y'staying?" Logan said and Kurt returned his smile, giving his old instructor's hand a shake. "As long as I'm welcome, sir."

Rahne let out a frustrated scream and hit both of her fists against Logan's chest before turning and running towards the Institute, leaving the two men to watch her disappear.

"She'll come around," Logan murmured. "Just give her time."

* * *

><p>"We're here, <em>chere<em>."

The familiar sound of Remy's Cajun drawl brought Rahne out of her daydream while she stared out the window of Rogue's car. It was a dreary day; it was cloudy and was pouring down rain… she felt it was appropriate for the occasion.

"Alright," Rahne numbly nodded her head as Logan came around and opened her door, holding tight onto her arm as he helped her out of the car and then wrapped an arm around her waist while holding an umbrella over their heads as they made their way towards the door. Remy, in the meantime, had fared the rain and made his way towards the front door of the funeral home, holding the door open for the redhead and their coworker before following suit.

The next few minutes were a complete blur for Rahne. One moment they were walking down a long white hallway, only to be greeted by a man in a suit that seemed it was a size too small for his frame, and then they were sitting inside an office with drawings of flowers hanging on the walls and a picture of the man from before and his family sitting on the desk.

She watched his mouth move but didn't hear anything he was saying. Her mouth was dry and her entire body felt numb. Was this a dream? This felt like a dream. There was no way that she could actually be sitting here in between Remy and Logan trying to mentally prepare herself to say goodbye to the love of her life.

She didn't mean to seem rude and to stare straight at the man, but she couldn't peel her eyes away from him. It wasn't until she felt Remy's hand on her knee that she blinked and glanced to the side at her friend, who was watching her with worried eyes.

"Rahne?" He murmured quietly, and it took her a moment to nod her head and glance back at the man behind the desk but something caught her eye. Sitting on the desk just within her reach was a familiar gold band inside of a plastic baggie that made her heart drop.

"What?" She asked, eyes widening as she glanced from the ring to the man behind the desk, who gave a soft sigh and explained himself once more. "We can't let jewelry into the creamator," He told her apologetically. "We figured it was something you would want to hold onto."

Rahne reached forward and grabbed the bag from the table and opened it, letting Roberto's wedding ring fall into the palm of her hand. She stared down at it before letting her fist close and held it to her chest, her head lowered.

"Are you ready?" The man asked and although Rahne didn't move, the men on both of her sides stood and helped her to her feet.

Once again, everything seemed like a blur as they made their way down the hallway once more. Logan held tight onto her hand while Remy wrapped an arm around her waist as they guided her down the hallway that seemed to last forever.

They stopped outside of a metal doorway and Rahne found herself staring straight ahead at it. Why did metal have to be such a dreary color? If it was a different color, like white, or even yellow… that would make it look better. Grey was too dreary.

"We'll be right outside," Logan said as he wrapped his arms around the redhead giving her a tight hug. When he let go, Remy's arms found their way around her small frame.

"_Je suis en prière pour vous_," He whispered into her ear and Rahne gave a slight nod of her head in response. As her friend finally let go, the funeral home worker slowly opened the door and ushered her inside.

"Just come on out when you're finished, Mrs. DaCosta," The worker said quietly as they entered the room. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

Rahne heard the door close behind her and she took in a deep breath. He was only a few feet from her… but in reality, he was nowhere to be seen. Her husband was in that box in front of her, but he wasn't really there.

She slowly made her way to the chair next to the table and poured herself into the seat. She was silent, staring down at his wedding ring in the palm of her hands as she tried to fight for the right words to say. This was the last time she was going to be around the body of her husband; surely there was something she could say. Even if he couldn't hear her, she had to say something…

Rahne took in a deep breath and rested her hand on the table, her eyes slowly following suit. Here went nothing…

* * *

><p>As Kurt made his way up the stairs of the Institute, he couldn't help but smile.<p>

How long had it been since he had been back here? _Two years and seven months_, he reminded himself with a shake of his head. It was almost comforting to come back to the place he called his home for several years, even under the circumstances to his arrival.

Had it really been that long? It almost felt like it was yesterday that he angrily packed up his belongings, told a few people goodbye and then boarded the plane to Berlin on his one-way ticket. It really didn't feel like it had been almost three years. His eyes moved to the first door on the left and he gave a content sigh. It was in there that he slept throughout his years at the Institute, having heart-to-hearts with Evan before he left and drinking whiskey with Kitty that they had stolen from Logan's usually-locked cabinet in the kitchen.

He passed the room, his hands dug deep into the pockets of his jeans. He tried to think about what would have happened if he hadn't left in a rage; if he had actually taken the time to calm down and stayed at the Institute. Maybe things would have worked out with him and Rahne… maybe they would be living their own little happy ever after instead of Rahne living her worst nightmare…

"I'm surprised," A voice interrupted his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Kitty, half phased through the wall of the bathroom, watching him walk away.

"Surprised?" He questioned and she nodded her head.

"I'm actually very surprised," She reaffirmed, slowly making her way towards him. "After all this time of barely returning my phone calls and never coming to visit… here you are." She stopped a few feet away from him, her hands on her hips and her head tilted to the side. "It's like you're back from the dead."

"Kitty," Kurt said quietly, but watched as Kitty gave a sad smile and shook her head.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Kurt. I understand." They made eye contact, and Kurt nodded his head. If anyone could understand his reasoning, it had to be Kitty. They were… well, had been best friends for several years. That was something that just went along with them.

"Even though you never wanted to talk to me… it's really nice to see you," Kitty gave a smile. "I've missed you." Kurt reached out to her, pulling her tight into his arms and against his chest.

"I've missed you too, _Katzchan_," Kurt murmured into Kitty's hair, holding her body close to his. He breathed in the long forgotten scent that he had grown so used to during his days at the Institute when the entire hallway would smell of lavender and vanilla and would grow stronger and more potent the closer you walked to Kitty's room. He thought of Rogue, who would constantly complain about the smell… while she hated it, Kurt loved it. It reminded him of the hillsides in Germany and it brought him a sense of peace.

When the two let go of each other, Kurt glanced over her shoulder and saw Remy, who was still dressed in all black, make his way out of his room and towards the staircase. "When did they return?" He asked quietly. Kitty, without even having to turn and ask who he was talking about, gently shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Maybe an hour ago?"

It was silent for a moment before Kurt asked, "Should we check on her?"

"Yeah," Kitty replied quietly.

The two made their way to Rahne's room that she had once shared with her husband. Kitty knocked on the door and meekly said, "Rahne? It's Kitty. Can I come in?" They received no response from the other side, so Kitty knocked again. "Rahne?" Once again, they received no sign from the other side of the door.

"Maybe she's asleep?" She questioned, glancing to the side to look at Kurt, who was chewing on his lower lip.

"Storm told me she hasn't slept since the accident," He murmured to his best friend. "I doubt that she would fall asleep right after cremating her husband."

Kitty grabbed a hold of his hand and Kurt could immediately sense fear in her touch. He and Kitty were both probably coming to the same conclusion – Rahne had attempted to do something stupid… again. The familiar feeling of being phased took over his body and within a moment, both he and Kitty had stepped inside Rahne's room. At first, her appearance alarmed them; she lay on top of her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and was staring blankly past them. The one thing that alarmed Kurt the most was while peering at her chest, she saw no movement.

"Rahne?" He asked, taking a step towards her, only to be greeted with a blink of green eyes from the other side of the room. He stood still for a moment before following her eyes and soon spotted the reason she was acting the way she was; a simple gold colored urn sat directly across from Rahne on the desk that still held all of Roberto's papers organized into piles and his closed laptop.

The room was silent for a few moments before Kitty laid a hand on his shoulder, giving him a weak smile. The one thing Kurt had missed so much about Kitty was the fact that they had the ability to speak without words; looks, gestures and overall attitude gave away what they wanted to say and the other was able to fully comprehend it. With a nod of his head, she backed up against the wall and soon disappeared.

Kurt trudged his way over to the side of Rahne's bed and took a seat. He half expected her to throw a fit like she had the day before, but she made no movement and not attempt to acknowledge his presence. Neither of them spoke for what seemed like minutes before Kurt took a deep breath. "Rahne…"

"He was such a wonderful person," Rahne interrupted him, her voice quiet. "Rob was the type of person to always put others before himself. Maybe that was why he was so successful in life." Her voice drifted and the two, once again, sat in silence.

"He was an absolutely magnificent husband," She murmured. "I would give anything to tell him that one last time."

"You can still tell him," Kurt replied with a sigh. "_Ja_, you might not be able to tell him in person… but I truly believe that when people have passed on from this world, they still watch their loved ones." He reached over and grabbed her hand, surprised at the fact she didn't try to pull it out of his grip. "I think he knew how much you loved him, Rahne." Kurt told her. Another moment of silence passed and he slowly let go of her hand, rose to his feet and made his way towards the exit.

He had reached the door and found his hand on the knob when he heard Rahne speak again. She had spoken so quietly that Kurt at first thought that he had imagined it, but as he turned to look over his shoulder he saw that her eyes were now on him and not the urn for the first time since he had entered the room.

"Don't leave me," She repeated, tears sprouting from her eyes. "Please don't leave me."

His hand retracted from the knob and in an instant, he was back to the side of her bed, grasping onto her hand. "I'm not going to leave," He whispered, watching as he eyes squeezed shut and more tears cascaded. He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently on her knuckles and rested his chin on her bed. "I'm never going to leave."

* * *

><p>I deeply apologize for the delay of putting this chapter up. A lot of personal things happened within the last few months and I am back in Alabama taking summer classes, so I am trying to write whenever I can! The next chapter will be up in a few days!<p> 


	5. Magnolia

**Collision  
><strong>Chapter 5: Magnolia

_Previously…_

_Kurt had reached the door and found his hand on the knob when he heard Rahne speak again. She had spoken so quietly that Kurt at first thought that he had imagined it, but as he turned to look over his shoulder he saw that her eyes were now on him and not the urn for the first time since he had entered the room. _

"_Don't leave me," She repeated, tears sprouting from her eyes. "Please don't leave me."_

_His hand retracted from the knob and in an instant, he was back to the side of her bed, grasping onto her hand. "I'm not going to leave," He whispered, watching as he eyes squeezed shut and more tears cascaded. He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently on her knuckles and rested his chin on her bed. "I'm never going to leave."_

* * *

><p>At three in the morning, most normal people would be tucked into the bed sleeping.<p>

Kitty, thankfully, wasn't the most normal person in the world.

As she sat on a blanket she had brought up on the roof of the Institute, she couldn't help but sit and ponder. How was it possible that there could be something so beautiful and so wide spread up in the sky? The stars were beautiful and the moon lit up the sky like a Christmas tree. It was always the questions she knew she could never answer herself.

"Kitty?" A voice interrupted her thoughts and she wasn't surprised in the least to see Sam as she glanced over her shoulder. Even in the darkness, she could make out his figure against the light of the open doorway.

"Hi, Sam," She gave a smile.

"What're you doing out here by yourself?" Sam asked, moving from the doorway to place himself closer to the brunette. As he neared, he took off his sweatshirt and put it over her shoulders. "You must be freezing," He murmured as he took a seat next to her.

"I'm from Illinois, Sam," Kitty laughed, shaking her head. "I'm not cold… but thank you."

She glanced back up at the sky, Sam following suit.

They remained quiet for a few minutes before Kitty broke the silence.

"You can see so many stars up here," She sighed. "You don't get sights like this back in Chicago."

"I forgot you were from Chicago," Sam admitted with a chuckle. "I've been there for a year and a half now and the one thing I've missed more than anything was the stars."

"When do you go back?" Kitty asked.

"I decided to take a leave of absence for a while," He said quietly. "I feel like I'm more needed here than I am there. They said they completely understood and to take as much time as I need."

Kitty nodded her head, choosing to stay silent. What was there to say? He could take as much time as he wanted to heal both physically and mentally; there was no one saying he had to be better by a certain date. No one could ever put a time limit on that.

"You could see almost every star on our farm," Sam smiled at the memory. "Growing up, it was my sister and my favorite thing to do… we'd sneak out at night and go out into the fields and just stare up at the sky for hours."

"I come up here a few nights a week. You can join me anytime you want," Kitty said, glancing over the shaggy blonde with a smile. "It's nice to have company."

"I will," Sam replied, giving her a toothy smile. "Even if you didn't ask me."

The two laughed for a few moments, staring up at the sky before Kitty spoke.

"Sometimes I talk to Mallory when I'm up here," She admitted. "And I've talked to Roberto a few times, too. It makes me feel better knowing that they're up there and that they are okay."

"I think you've watched The Lion King a few too many times," Sam said quietly with a shake of his head. Kitty's eyes narrowed as she glanced to the side to stare at him.

"So what makes you think it's not possible?" She snapped.

"It's just not probable, Kitty," Sam sighed. "When a person passes away, that's it… they go to Heaven or they go to Hell. Their spirit doesn't become a rock in outer space."

They fell silent once more and it took Sam a few moments to glance over at Kitty and notice the tears running down her cheeks.

"Kitty," He murmured only to be interrupted.

"Why is it that the good have to die so young?" Kitty choked out, shaking her head. "Mallory, Roberto… it's always the best people who get taken away. Why is that, Sam?"

Sam shook his head and reached over, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "I wish I knew how to respond to that," He said quietly. "I guess the Man upstairs has bigger plans for them somewhere else."

Kitty leaned forward to rest her forehead against his shoulder and Sam wrapped his arms around her frail body, pulling her closer.

"Maybe he has bigger plans for all of us," Kitty murmured into his shoulder.

"Maybe he does," Sam replied.

"Stay with me for a while," Kitty said, pulling away to watch him. "It's always better to watch the sunrise with someone."

"That's not for another three and a half hours, Kitty," Sam chuckled.

"Then we'll find something to pass the time," She told him with a smile.

And for the next three and a half hours, they did. 

* * *

><p><em>Rahne was all alone in a white room.<em>

"_Hello?" She screeched, banging on the wall. "Can anyone hear me?"_

_A noise behind her brought her back to reality and she shot around, ready to attack… but her stance fell as she found herself standing in front of Roberto._

"_Rob?" She whispered, taking a few steps forward. Her husband made no movements except for his eyes as they followed her. _

"_Baby?" Rahne finally reached him, a shaky hand stretched out to touch his white button-up shirt. Her nerves instantly fell once she realized her hand was actually upon him. With that, she threw herself into his arms._

"_I had such a horrible nightmare, 'Berto," Rahne murmured into his shoulder, eyes shut tight as she kept her arms wrapped around her husband. "Don't you dare scare me like that ever again."_

_The silence was overwhelming and after a few uncomfortable moments, she pulled away to cup her husband's face. "Rob?" She asked quietly, tilting her head and blinking her eyes. "Why won't you say anything?"_

_All Roberto did was stare at her. No words were spoken between the pair as they exchanged glances. "Why won't you answer me?" Rahne pleaded. "Rob, talk to me."_

_Roberto made his first movement and gave a sad shake of his head. Reaching his hand up to cover hers, he gave her hands a squeeze._

"_I know," he finally spoke. _

"_You know what?" Rahne replied, bewildered._

"_You know," he insisted._

"_Rob?"_

"_You know," he repeated, a smirk spreading across his face… a typical Roberto da Costa smirk. _

"_I know what?" Rahne asked, feeling her throat constricting._

"_Was it even real?" Roberto tilted his head to the side, watching her carefully. "Us. Was it real?"_

"_How can you even ask that?" Rahne choked out. "You're my husband. I love you."_

_The last thing she heard before the world went black was Roberto's voice hissing in her ear, "Then why is there already another man in your bed?"_

* * *

><p>As he sat downstairs drinking his morning coffee, the last thing Logan expected to hear was someone screaming from the upstairs corridors.<p>

Not a moment passed before he jumped from his seat and sprinted out of the kitchen, hearing his coffee cup crash and break on the floor. _I'll clean the damn mess later,_ he hissed to himself as he raced up the stairs and sprinted down the hallway.

"Logan," He heard a voice call as Ororo jumped out of her room and followed suit. Neither spoke another word – no words needed to be spoken.

He could hear a male voice as they neared the room. "Rahne, _beruhigen_!" A voice called on the other side of the doorway.

As Ororo threw the door open, neither were surprised to see Kurt on top of Rahne's bed, trying to hold her thrashing body down. As she ran to assist, Logan found solitude in standing in the doorway. A few of the students her poked their heads out of their rooms to look for the source of the noise, but retreated when they caught Logan's threatening glances at each and every one of them.

"Rahne!" Ororo called, reaching out to grab Rahne's face between her hands. "Rahne, listen to me! You have to wake up!"

Rahne's eyes flew open as she flew up into a sitting position, and it took her a few moments to realize she was still screaming. As her voice finally faded, she took a few seconds to take in her surroundings.

She saw Ororo, who had tears in her own eyes and was still holding her face, her mouth opened just the slightest amount as if there were words that weren't able to form. She saw Logan standing in the doorway, still gruff looking as ever… and then she saw Kurt sitting on the edge of her bed.

It took a moment for the word to form, but her eyes turned to slits as she hissed with all the venom she had left in her body, "_You._" Her body shook with quiet sobs, her eyes never leaving him.

"Kurt?" Ororo asked quietly, glancing back at him.

"I…" Kurt fumbled over his words. "I… I heard her screams from my room. I teleported in," He breathed out, glancing desperately at Ororo. She didn't seem to notice the fact that he seemed to be in a panic, but the moment he locked eyes with Logan, he knew that he was caught.

"Get out," Rahne choked through her cries as Ororo pulled her up against her chest, holding the Scot tight in her arms as she cried into

"_Bitte_," Kurt murmured, reaching out to gently touch her arm. At the simplest of touch, he instantly regretted it as Rahne screamed against her coworker, "_GET OUT!_"

Kurt took a few moments to raise himself off the bed, shooting a pleading look at Logan, who had promptly placed himself in the doorway. They made eye contact and Logan shook his head, eyes glancing out into the hallway and then back at Kurt.

With a heavy heart, Kurt gave one more glance at the sobbing redhead and his former instructor as he made his way towards the doorway, making his way into the hallway.

"Elf," Logan growled as he watched his student start to walk away. "You and I need to have a little chat."

With that, he closed the door in all hopes – but knowing the improbability – that it would mask Rahne's screams for her husband. 

* * *

><p>Okay…. That was more than a few days. I apologize, but my summer classes had to come before anything else. On a positive note, I got all A's and had a wonderful vacation with my parents to the Bahamas.<p>

This was a short chapter and I promise the next one will give you some answers as to some background stuff.. like the past between Kurt and Rahne and all of that really fun stuff.

The next chapter will be up… drum roll, please... tomorrow. Yes, you heard me. I'm on a roll with this whole writing thing after a small school-induced hiatus.

Please leave me some comments and let me know what you think of the story!


	6. Just A Dream

**Collision  
><strong>Chapter 6: Just a Dream

_Previously…_

_With a heavy heart, Kurt gave one more glance at the sobbing redhead and his former instructor as he made his way towards the doorway, making his way into the hallway. _

"_Elf," Logan growled as he watched his student start to walk away. "You and I need to have a little chat."_

_With that, he closed the door in all hopes – but knowing the improbability – that it would mask Rahne's screams for her husband._

* * *

><p><em><em>"You've been avoiding me," a familiar growl hissed in Kurt's ear as he sat on the front steps of the Institute.

Kurt sighed, glancing over his shoulder to watch Logan, who was glaring down at him. "Is it that obvious?" He joked before glancing back out at the grounds. Logan took a seat next to him, eyes staring straight and refusing to look next to him.

"I guess the question is _why_ you thought avoiding me was a smart decision. You got something to hide?" There was a cynical, teasing tone in Logan's voice that made goose bumps run up Kurt's arms.

"Nothing to hide," he gave a meek response.

"Then talk."

"It depends on what you want to know, _mein freund_," Kurt shrugged his shoulders.

"You were in Rahne's room two nights ago." It wasn't a question; it was more like a statement.

"_Ja_."

"You didn't teleport into her room like you said you did."

"Correct."

"Explain."

Kurt closed his eyes for a moment, looking back at two nights before when he had went into Rahne's room with Kitty to make sure that she hadn't tried to hurt herself…

"_Don't leave me," She repeated, tears sprouting from her eyes. "Please don't leave me."_

"She asked me to stay with her," Kurt finally spoke. "So I stayed in her room and we talked. Well… she talked. I just sat there and listened to whatever she had to say." He sighed. "It's not like she forgave me… but I think that it helped her to be able to talk about how she had been feeling the last few days.

"She spent a good part of the time crying… I didn't know what to do, Logan. She asked me not to leave and I couldn't bear the thought of her being by herself… so I stayed there for the night."

"Elf," Logan growled. "If you…"

"We didn't do anything," Kurt mumbled, staring down at his hands. "I planned to stay with her until she fell asleep but apparently I found sleep before she did. I didn't plan on spending the night in there."

"So why are you back now?" Logan asked, taking this time to glance next to him. "You've been gone nearly three years and all of a sudden, you're back and won't let on as to what you've been doing or where you have been… so why now?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kurt asked.

"Yes," Logan replied. "But I still want you to say it."

Kurt gave a heavy sigh. "_Ich liebe sie,_" He whispered. "I always have."

Logan fought the urge to roll his eyes. "If you love her, then why did you leave? Chuck never told any of us why you up and left."

Kurt was silent for a few moments before he spoke, his head still bowed and his voice quiet. "The Professor sent me on a mission," He started. "I was to tell no one where I was going or what I was doing… Rahne included. She couldn't know what I was doing because it would have put her in _gefhar_."

"And here I thought Chuck left all the dangerous missions to me…" Logan chuckled under his breath. "So what did the old man send you to do?"

"That's a story for another time," Kurt replied immediately.

The conversation stopped as Kurt stared down at his hands and Logan found peace staring out at some of the new recruits doing laps on the quad being chased by a thunderstorm-bearing Storm.

"I'm glad you finally manned up," Logan said under his breath. "She needed you three years ago and you were nowhere to be found. I'm glad you finally grew up." He stood up and walked inside, leaving Kurt and his thoughts by themselves.

* * *

><p>"When was the last time that we did this?" Rogue asked as she lay on top of her bed, digging her spoon into a container of Ben &amp; Jerry's ice cream. She shoved the spoon into her mouth and let her eyes wander to the brunette sitting on the edge of the bed, eating her own container.<p>

"It's been years, for sure," Kitty replied as she plucked the spoon from her mouth. "The last time I remember us having ice cream gossip dates was, like… when Lance and I broke up." She made a face to show her displeasure.

"My God," Rogue gave a chuckle. "I almost forgot about him. How is the poor bastard?"

"I wouldn't know," Kitty replied with no pause. "We haven't talked since I caught him in bed with Tabitha."

"His loss," Her former roommate muttered, shoving another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

"Where's Remy at?" Kitty asked. "I haven't seen him since he brought Rahne back from the crematorium."

"He's in Louisiana for a few days," Rogue said quietly.

"Why didn't he take you?" Kitty asked.

"He wanted to. I told him it was best for us to spend some time apart."

Kitty raised both her eyebrows and stared at Rogue, who was refusing to look at her and seemed entranced by all of the balls of cookie dough in her ice cream container.

"Time apart?" She questioned. "Rogue, what's going on?"

When Rogue didn't answer, Kitty set her container on the floor and scooted closer to her friend. Grabbing onto her gloved hand, Kitty gave it a tight squeeze. "Rogue," She said.

As much as Rogue tried to keep herself quiet, she attempted to take a break and instead found herself shouting, "Hetriedtoproposetome."

Kitty tilted her head, looking confused. "What?"

Rogue glanced up at her friend and tried to say it once more. "He proposed."

If anyone could let out a squeal that could break eardrums, Kitty would be that person. She reached forward and wrapped her arms tight around her friend. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! How did he do it? When? Let me see the ring!" She grabbed a hold of Rogue's hand once more and felt for the ring under her glove… but felt nothing.

"Where's the ring?" Kitty asked. Rogue felt scarlet rising to her cheeks and she broke Kitty's gaze, glancing down at the floor.

"I told him I had to think about it," She sighed.

"What's there to think about, Rogue?" Kitty asked her quietly. "You've, like… you've been together for nearly four years. You share a bedroom. He loves you more than anything in the entire world and I know you love him just as much."

Rogue let out a defeated sigh. "I didn't really have parental figures in my life before I came here, Kit," She said. "I was never able to see a healthy marriage throughout my childhood and it made me not want to get married… I mean, it's just a piece of paper. Remy and I don't need a piece of paper to define us."

"But it's the label of it," Kitty replied. "He wants to be able to call you his wife. If it's just a piece of paper, then why is it such a big deal? You literally have to go to the courthouse and get married in front of a judge with two witnesses. That's all you need to do."

Rogue's eyes still refused to meet Kitty's as she responded. "We are fine the way we are."

"Are you?" Kitty asked bluntly. "He asked you to marry him and you wouldn't give him an answer. He wanted you to go to Louisiana with him and you refused. I hate to break it to you, Rogue… but I'm, like, not sure things are going to be peachy keen when he comes back."

When Rogue didn't answer, Kitty scooted closer and put her head on Rogue's clothed shoulder. "But no matter what happens, you know you've got me," She murmured. "You always have me."

Rogue gave a soft chuckle. "And you've got me, Kit… now quit being a hog and give me some of that half-baked ice cream." She reached across the bed to grab Kitty's container of ice cream and once more plucked a glob of ice cream into her mouth while her former roommate broke out into another fit of giggles.

This was their life, and Rogue wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

><p>"Kurt, I am headed to the danger room for a session with Logan. Would you like to join us?" Ororo asked as she made her way down the hallway, locking eyes with her former student who was sitting on the ground, his back pressed against the wall located next to Rahne's room.<p>

"_Nein danke_, Storm," He replied.

"You've been out here since this morning," Sturm murmured. "She'll come to you when she is ready, Kurt."

Kurt didn't reply but watched as Storm made her way down the hallway and down the stairs. He had been up next to Rahne's door since his conversation with Logan that morning. Logan was right, it was time that he manned up and took responsibility.

"Were you going to wait out here all day?" His thoughts were interrupted and his glance rose to the now open doorway next to him where Rahne stood, one hand on her door frame and the other on her hip.

"As long as it took," Kurt said quietly, his glance rising to watch her. He took in her appearance; her eyes were sunken, her skin seemed pale and she seemed that within any moment, she would fall over and break every bone in her body. "Rahne, _wir mussen redden_," He sighed. "We have to talk about what happened."

For the next several seconds, Rahne remained against the doorframe and her arms crossed… but she slowly closed her door and slid down the wall across from Kurt, taking a seat.

"I am sorry that I put you in a position like that, Rahne," Kurt started, speaking quickly. "I planned on staying until you had fallen asleep and I ended up sleeping before you did. I did not plan on spending the night in there and I never meant to hurt you in any way."

Rahne let out a curt laugh. "Never meant to hurt me?" She repeated. "You left without saying goodbye to anyone… we all thought something had happened to you until the Professor told us that you had gone away." Her voice was shaky and Kurt instantly felt a sharp pain in his chest at the sound of it.

"I came back," Kurt murmured under his breath and Rahne raised her head.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing," Kurt lied.

"Kitty spent weeks crying over the fact you left without saying goodbye… and every time you wouldn't return a phone call or email," Rahne's gaze lifted to glance at her ex-boyfriend. "All she wanted to do was hear your voice after she caught Lance cheating on her with Boom Boom. She missed you so much, Kurt."

"Did you?" Kurt asked.

"Did I what?"

"Did you miss me?"

"Every single day," Rahne replied without a moment to pause.

Silence spread once more. Kurt wondered in Rahne felt as uncomfortable as he currently did.

"I had a dream about my husband the night you fell asleep in my room," Rahne sighed, glancing down at her wedding ring. "He… he told me that he knew I never loved him if I was already in bed with someone else."

Kurt noticed tears falling from her eyes and he scooted into the middle of the hallway, taking her hands.

"_Liebling_, I never meant to put you in that position. I want for you to be happy and that is all I have ever wanted. I stayed because you told me not to leave and I will do anything in my power to help you." He bit down on his bottom lip as he watched her, tears cascading down her face.

"I know you loved him," Kurt whispered. "I know you loved him more than anything in the world, Rahne. He was your husband and I know you wouldn't have made a vow to him unless you planned on keeping it until your very last breath. But please know that I am here for you. I will be here for you for as long as I live."

Silence fell between the two once again and she glanced to the side, two of the new recruits run up the stairs and take refuge in their rooms from the rest of the recruits in a massive game of hide and seek.

"At some point, I would like to try and be friends," Rahne finally said. "It takes too much effort to hate you, Kurt, and I'm honestly tired of it."

"At some point?" Kurt asked, letting go of her hands and crossing his arms. He leaned against the wall once more, tilting his head.

"At some point," She repeated.

"That's better than nothing," Kurt gave a small smile and stood up, starting to walk down the hallway. After a few strides, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

"Hi, are you new here? I've never seen you here before. My name is Kurt." He took a few steps back and held out his hand. Rahne watched him for a moment, her face unreadable until the corner of her mouth lifted and she reached out to shake his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Kurt. I'm Rahne."

"Well, Rahne… I'm about to head out and go get some dinner at the pizza place down by the movie theatre. Would you like to join me?"

Rahne took a deep breath before whispering, "Why not."

* * *

><p>Okay, so that was more than a day… but I blame making the trip back to Alabama with no internet access.<p>

Let me know what you think!


	7. There Tonight

**Author Note**: Wow, where to even begin… It has been close to two years since I have updated this story. For the few people that read the story, please let me say that I am sorry. School and some others stuff got in the way of my writing, but I had some amazing experiences while I was gone. I studied abroad in Scotland for three months and also met the love of my life. I also graduated college two weeks ago (Roll Tide) and I'm waiting to hear if I will be attending graduate school in the fall. In the meantime, I'm back. And I'm ready to write the rest of this story. It may take a while, but it's going to happen. Thank y'all for being patient with me (even though y'all probably got annoyed and stopped checking) and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit short, but something new will be coming up shortly.

Collision  
>Chapter 7: There Tonight<p>

_Previously…_

"_At some point, I would like to try and be friends," Rahne finally said. "It takes too much effort to hate you, Kurt, and I'm honestly tired of it."_

"_At some point?" Kurt asked, letting go of her hands and crossing his arms. He leaned against the wall once more, tilting his head. _

"_At some point," She repeated._

"_That's better than nothing," Kurt gave a small smile and stood up, starting to walk down the hallway. After a few strides, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder._

"_Hi, are you new here? I've never seen you here before. My name is Kurt." He took a few steps back and held out his hand. Rahne watched him for a moment, her face unreadable until the corner of her mouth lifted and she reached out to shake his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Kurt. I'm Rahne."_

"_Well, Rahne… I'm about to head out and go get some dinner at the pizza place down by the movie theatre. Would you like to join me?"_

_Rahne took a deep breath before whispering, "Why not." _

By five in the afternoon the next day, Rahne still had yet to leave her room.

It wasn't that she hadn't had a good night with Kurt. In all honesty, it had been great to see him and to talk like they were friends. Sure, they had gone through more stuff together than most people did in a lifetime… but as long as he didn't bring up their past, she wasn't going to.

The night had been her first dose of normality in almost two weeks. They had gotten pizza and taken it back to the Institute, where they had sat on the front porch and talked about everything that didn't have to do with their romantic past or Roberto. They had joked about the time they had snuck out with Rogue, Kitty and Evan and driven to New York City only to be tracked down by a very pissed Wolverine in the middle of Times Square. Kurt had even reminded her of the time that he and her had decided they were going to help Amara dye her hair… only to turn the fur on Kurt's hands a deep shade of brown for the next two weeks.

It was the first time she had laughed since the morning Roberto had passed away. As good as it felt, it made her feel incredibly guilty. Here she was, having fun with her ex-boyfriend mere weeks after her husband had lost his life… how could she even smile in a time like this?

That was something she was still trying to figure out.

So here she was almost twenty four hours later, hugging a pillow close to her body as she stayed on top of the covers of the bed that she and her husband had once shared. Her eyes were locked onto the urn that still sat on the desk with a mess of Roberto's papers scattered all over it. She hadn't touched it since she set it there days before and she had no plans to move it until she figured out what she was going to do with herself.

A heated pain had found its way into her heart, and she wasn't sure how to get rid of it. It wasn't like she could stay in her room forever and have her life remain in pieces on the floor. She had to pick the pieces up and start gluing them back together at some point. Maybe it was that she just wasn't ready to sweep the pieces together just yet.

"Rahne?" There was a knock on her door and before Rahne had the chance to answer, Kitty's heard phased through the door. The brunette glanced over at the balcony where Rahne perched, giving her a slight smile and said, "There are some people in the entry way wanting to talk to you."

"Who is it?" Rahne asked as she climbed off the edge of the bed, moving towards the door. She paused to grab a grey cardigan that hung off the back of a chair and slipped it over her shoulders.

"I don't know. C'mon," Kitty urged her quietly, grabbing her hand to pull her through the open doorway into the hallway.

The first steps were quiet, with Rahne watching her feet shuffle along the corridor. She wondered if Kitty was watching her, or felt how she was feeling, or what she was thinking… but when she glanced over at her, Kitty instead was looking up. Daydreaming, as usual. Rahne's lips curved slightly at the sight.

"What're your plans for the night?" Rahne asked quietly as Kitty looped her arm through her friend's. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know. Kurt, Sam and I were thinking about going to see a movie. Would you like to come with us?"

"No thanks," Rahne murmured. "I have some things I need to do here."

"If you say so," Kitty replied as the two reached the top of the stairway, giving Rahne the chance to look down at her company. There stood a man and a woman, both in business-wear and clean cut. Their skin was tanned and their hair dark. She knew that she had seen them before, but to figure out where…

Releasing her arm from Kitty's grip, Rahne made her way down the stairs and into the foyer. She felt their eyes watching her every step of the way and it sent goosebumps down her entire body.

"Hello, I'm Rahne da Costa," She introduced herself as she walked over to the couple, holding out her hand. The man gave her a quick shake but the female only stood there, staring at Rahne with piercing eyes. Rahne slowly lowered her hand and continued. "I was told you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes, we would," The female replied curtly. "My name is Nina da Costa, and this is my husband Emmanuel. We would like to discuss our son, Roberto."

In the heat of the Louisiana summer, there were many things that Remy could have thought about to get his mind off of Rogue. Perched on his balcony at a hotel in New Orleans, he watched the crowd of college students stumbling down the road with drinks in their hands and laughs so hearty, it almost made Remy smile. He knew that he could walk down and join them – he _wanted_ to join them, but he stopped himself. What good would getting drunk do to figure out his life?

His hand was gripped onto the ring box that he had brought along for the ride, and he gave a heavy sigh as he tossed it in the air and caught it. He repeated the motion a few times, his eyes never leaving the college students as they stumbled around the corner. Their laughs soon faded, but he was sure that another group would follow them soon after. It was the never ending cycle of New Orleans.

He didn't notice that his pocket was vibrating until a few moments after it started. He licked his dry lips, wondering why he hadn't brought out his water to the balcony, as he grabbed the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Kitty was calling him. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he accepted the call and held the phone to his face, leaning his head so the phone was caught between his ear and his shoulder. He rose to his feet to make his way back into his room.

"Meow, _chaton_," he greeted, closing the sliding door behind him. He reached for his water bottle. "_Comment allez-vous?"_

"Hi, Remy."

His hand froze at the sound of her voice. Was that his heart that skipped a beat? He lowered the water bottle and leaned against the counter top. "_Mon chere_," he breathed out. "Remy didn't think he'd hear from you this soon."

"It's not too soon," Rogue chuckled on the other side. "It's been a while. Too long."

He grinned a signature Remy grin, even though he knew no one would see it. "That it has been, _chere_. Why are you calling off Kitty's phone?"

"The new recruits accidently destroyed mine," Rogue sighed. "I made the mistake of leaving it outside near the pool. Came outside to find it waterlogged and broken into two pieces."

"Remy would have thought you'd learn by now."

There was a moment of silence before Rogue spoke again. "You haven't called since you left. It's been over a week."

"Figured I'd give you a bit of time," Remy shuffled backwards towards his bed and sat down on the end of it. "Y'said you needed time."

"I know I did," her voice was quiet. "I thought I needed time. I didn't know…" There was more silence, and then she spoke again. "I still don't know what I want."

There was more silence on the phone between the two. Remy set the ring box down on the bed and used his fingers to rub between his eyes. He gave a sigh and took a breath, but was interrupted by the sound of her voice.

"Come back, Remy."

He paused, wondering if that was actual emotion that he was wearing in Rogue's voice. He had never heard her voice like this before. Maybe it was simply in his imagination.

"Rogue?"

"I want you to come back home."

"But you said…"

"I know what I said," Rogue sighed. "I know that I said I didn't know what I want. I don't know what I want about a lot of things in my life, but I do know one thing, Remy. I know that I want to spend my life by your side and to call you my husband. I want us to have a life together, and I want to love you and be angry at you and to have all of the experiences that people should have together… but at the end of the day, I want you. I want you, and only you."

There was liquid on Remy's eyes, and it took a second for him to realize that they were tears. He gave a laugh and threw his head backwards, his back falling on the bed. "Y'mean it?" He asked.

"Every word," she responded. "Come home."

"I'll be on the first flight back," he laughed again. "_Je suis venue pour vous._"


	8. Casualty

**Author Note:** Well… shit. It happened again. There's been so much happening this year that I just didn't have the time to sit down and write out all the ideas I had for this story. I just finished my first semester of graduate school (and didn't fail out of it! Hooray!), and I've had plenty of personal issues to deal with before I could return to writing. However, writing has always been my escape, so I've had so many ideas to add to this story. I can't wait to share them all with you.

Collision

Chapter 8: Casualty

Previously…

_Releasing her arm from Kitty's grip, Rahne made her way down the stairs and into the foyer. She felt their eyes watching her every step of the way and it sent goosebumps down her entire body._

"_Hello, I'm Rahne da Costa," She introduced herself as she walked over to the couple, holding out her hand. The man gave her a quick shake but the female only stood there, staring at Rahne with piercing eyes. Rahne slowly lowered her hand and continued. "I was told you wanted to speak to me?"_

"_Yes, we would," The female replied curtly. "My name is Nina da Costa, and this is my husband Emmanuel. We would like to discuss our son, Roberto."_

* * *

><p><em>I'm a monster.<em>

Rahne's stomach contracted violently, sending another wave of nausea through her body and collecting in the toilet. When it subsided, Rahne reached forward to grasp the toilet seat, trying to steady herself as she sobbed.

There was incessant knocking at the door and multiple worried voices trying to reach her, but Rahne could barely hear them. Her mind was racing – how _dare_ they? How could these strangers come into her home and say these things to her?

"Where's Kitty?" Someone asked from the other side of the door, a voice that Rahne could easily recognize as Ororo. "Find her so she can get in there."

"Rahne, open the door!"

"Damnit, can't someone break it down?"

"Someone go get Charles."

Rahne fell back from her crouched position over the toilet, her shaky hands trying to cover her sobs. She pressed them against her open mouth, shutting her eyes tight. The ability to sit up straight wasn't working, so she found herself sliding down onto the floor, her face against the soft rug near the shower.

"Mrs. Da Costa," She could hear one of her students, Travis. His voice was loud enough for her to realize that he was probably pressed up against the bottom of the doorway to project his voice. "You're scaring us. Please open the door… or at least say something."

The only voice she could make was more sobbing, clutching at the rug that was underneath her. She couldn't find the strength to open her eyes, or move towards the door, or even say anything to tell them that she was alive. She couldn't tell them that she was ok – there was no possible way to convince anyone that she was ok. She was alive – that was all that she was.

She heard Kitty's voice in the distance, probably from the bottom of the stairs. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs bathroom!" Someone shouted.

Before Rahne could react, a familiar _poof_ sound and the smell of sulfur set in. She could tell that it wasn't just her and Kurt inside the bathroom as soon as she felt hands on her arms; they were gentle and soft and smelled like baby powder. Her body shook with sobs as she felt the hands pull her upwards and forward so that she was sobbing into a shoulder.

"They were wrong, Rahne," Kitty whispered into her ear, her arms wrapped tight around her friend. Her right hand moved through Rahne's hair, unknotting the tangles that had collected in her red hair. "They don't know what they're talking about."

Rahne wasn't sure how long it took for the heaving sobs to slowly subside, but by the time she was able to crack her eyes open, she saw the wreckage around her. The mirror on the wall that she had looked into so many times throughout the years was shattered and glass was spread among the floor. The contents of her stomach were collected in the toilet. And then she saw him, leaned up against the bathroom door in a sitting position. His eyes – oh, his eyes – they looked defeated, as did the look on his face.

Kurt looked broken. He looked just like she felt.

They made eye contact, and his expression lifted slightly. She looked away as soon as he made the smallest movement towards her, burying her face into Kitty's shoulder once more. The sobs resumed, her hands clutching at the fabric that her friend wore.

While she cried, she didn't notice that Kurt had silently rose to his feet and unlocked the bathroom door, allowing one more person in. When Hank spoke to her, it was almost like a God-send.

"I'm going to give you a shot to calm you down, Rahne," He said, pulling out a needle and a vial of liquid. "It'll sting, but I promise it will help."

Rahne's form of response was a curt nod her head, her face still pressed into Kitty's shoulder. Kitty moved the positioning of her arms slightly to hold her still, and Rahne felt a pinching and burning sensation in the top of her arm. A few moments passed, and she could instantly tell the effects. Everything was spinning. It was spinning too fast.

"I think I'm going to be sick," She whispered. After that, the world went black.

* * *

><p>"She was fine," Kurt murmured as he glanced through the glass at Rahne, who was under a thin white sheet on a bed in the infirmary. He had teleported her down after she passed out from a mixture of the medicine that Hank had given her and the pure exhaustion from the nausea and crying. Kitty and Hank had arrived moments later, and Hank got her situated inside her section of the infirmary. "What happened, Kitty?"<p>

Kitty, who had been sitting in the corner of the room, glanced up at him. "Roberto's parents showed up," She told him quietly. "They told Rahne that they wanted to discuss their… well, they called it a 'situation'."

"I thought Rob hadn't talked to his parents ever since they tried to pull him from the Institute when we were all in high school?" Kurt asked.

"You're right," Kitty affirmed with a nod of her head. "They hadn't spoken in years. Apparently the news of his death spread to the media in Brazil, and that's how they found out."

"Rahne didn't tell them?" He asked.

Kitty shook her head. "They weren't on speaking terms. He didn't want them to be a part of his life, and I guess Rahne wanted to respect his wishes."

"So, what was the situation that they came to talk to Rahne about?" Kurt asked.

Kitty glanced into the room where her friend's body laid motionless except for the occasional movement of her chest. "They were angry that they hadn't been contacted," She started. "Well, his mom was more upset than his dad… he just kind of sat there silently. They told Rahne that they wanted to take his ashes back to Brazil..."

_**An hour before… **_

At the idea of their request, Rahne stared blankly ahead of her at her husband's parents. Could she call them her father-in-law and her mother-in-law? She wasn't sure – it wasn't as if they had met before. It wasn't like they would accept her as part of the family.

"Mrs. Da Costa, I'm more than willing to give you some of the ashes to take back to Brazil with you," She spoke quietly with a shakiness in her voice. "But I can't give the entire urn to you. I need part of my husband here with me. You can't take all of him from me."

This was not the answer that Roberto's mother wanted to hear, which was evident in the tone of her voice.

"Yes, we can, and we will. We are entitled to it."

"Actually, you're not," A voice sounded from the corner, and everyone glanced over to Kitty. She was leaned up against a wall with her arms crossed, watching the conversation that had been taking place. "New York state law says that the possession of cremated remains first goes to whoever is named in the will, and if no one is named, then it goes to the spouse. So, in regards to that, you aren't entitled. They belong to Rahne."

"I don't have time for your lies," Mrs. Da Costa hissed towards Kitty. She looked back over at Rahne before she spoke again. "We are taking him back with us. We are his family, and we are going to give him a proper burial."

"No," Rahne growled. "He was my family. He was family to everyone who has ever come through the Institute. You weren't his family; you told him you would disown him if he came back here." Her eyes narrowed. "Who could do that to someone they love – to their _son_? He hasn't been a part of your life in eight years."

"And he'll never be a part of our lives again thanks to you," Mrs. Da Costa responded. "If it wasn't for you, he would still be alive and we wouldn't have to be having this conversation. He would be back in Brazil, where he belonged."

"If it wasn't for me?" Rahne spat. "I didn't make him choose to come back here. I didn't tell him that he needed to fall in love with me. I didn't force him to marry me."

"But the alcohol did."

Rahne was taken aback by the words that came out of her husband's mother's mouth. It took her a few moments to regain her composure. "Excuse me?"

"Do you think it's a secret that the two of you ran off under the influence of alcohol and decided to get married? Maybe it's because you knew that you'd never get him to marry you otherwise," She leaned towards Rahne. "It's also not a secret that you were made the beneficiary to everything that our son was worth."

"_The money_?" Rahne felt her heart drop. Here they were, the parents to the man she loved, accusing her of only being with him because he had money. "It wasn't never about the money. I don't care about the money. You can take all of it – I don't want it. I married your son because I loved him more than anything in the world, and I would give anything to have him back here with me. I can't believe you're coming into our home and insinuating that I never loved him. That is pathetic."

The feeling that Rahne felt burning inside of her was one that she couldn't describe. It felt like someone was clasping her heart and squeezing it, but there was a burning in her head that she had never felt before. A knot of tears was stuck in the back of her throat, but she didn't want to show that she was weak – not after everything that was being thrown at her.

"We know some very powerful people, Ms. Sinclair…" she heard Roberto's mom say.

"That's not my name. My name is Mrs. Da Costa," She snapped back.

"…Ms. Sinclair," she repeated again. "It would be unwise of you to decide to not work with us on that. If you decide to help us, we can come up with some sort of agreement for you to receive part of our son's inheritance."

"I don't want his money!" Rahne screamed, rising to her feet. It was the first time she had raised her voice during this conversation. "You can't take my husband away from me, you can't take my last name away from me, and there is no way in Hell I am willing to 'work with you', because Roberto wanted absolutely nothing to do with you. He hated both of you for what you did to him and for making him choose. He wanted to have nothing to do with either of you, and I'm going to keep it that way."

"Rahne," Kitty had jumped forward, grabbing her friend's shoulders by the arms. "You need to calm down," she whispered. Rahne glanced down at her hands to see that her fingernails, once cut and perfected, were sharp. The hair on her arms had grown and a quick glance in the mirror confirmed that the hair wasn't just on her arms; it was all over her body.

"Deep breaths," Kitty whispered. Rahne closed her eyes and breathed in, and breathed out. She repeated this for a few moments and opened her eyes to see that she looked normal once more. As her eyes went over to Mr. and Mrs. Da Costa, she noticed that they had both collected their belongings and were staring at her.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," Mrs. Da Costa growled towards Rahne. "We can prove to anyone that there is no way our son would have chosen to marry such a monster."

_Monster_. Rahne froze at the word and she felt the nausea build in her stomach once more.

She saw her reflection in the mirror. She was a monster

She saw herself as a young girl being chased by a mob in Scotland. She was a monster.

She saw Roberto staring into her eyes with a smile, whispering that he loved her. She was a monster.

_How could he ever love a monster?_

"That's _it_. Get the Hell out of here," Kitty yelled, grabbing both figures by their clothing and forcing them to walk with her towards the door. "I'll personally make sure you get taken off the property and that you never come back." As she walked outside with the two figures still in her grasps, she yelled, "Travis, go inside and sit with Mrs. Da Costa until I get back."

"Yes ma'am!" Travis ran inside and headed towards the living room, only to see it empty. "Mrs. Da Costa?" He yelled. "Where are you?

_**Present time…**_

"By the time I came back inside, that's when I heard all the yelling from upstairs. And then you came inside from wherever you were," Kitty placed a hand on the glass that separated them from Rahne. "I thought she couldn't become more broken than she already was, until I saw that look on her face when Rob's mom called her a monster."

"Reverend Craig used to call her a monster when he was attempting to kill her," Kurt responded with a sigh. "_Ich wünschte, ich wusste, was ich sagen soll._"

"Did you forget I don't speak German?" Kitty asked with a soft chuckle.

"I don't know what to say, Kätzchen," Kurt whispered. "There are so many things I want to say, to you, and to Rahne, and to everyone… but I can't say them. I don't know how to say them." He looked back in the room at Rahne. "I never should have left," He whispered.

"But you did," Kitty responded. "And there is nothing you can do about that now. What we need to focus on now is helping Rahne."

Kurt nodded his head and reached over to grab Kitty's hand and help her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she repeated the action and placed her head on his shoulder. Together, they stared at the shell of their friend in the silence of the infirmary.


End file.
